Marriage
by Hauptmann Holmes
Summary: DA Hamilton Burger finally-and somewhat reluctantly-ties the knot. This is the story of his marriage.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Perry Mason_, I just enjoy playing around with DA Burger :p

**Note:** I'm not sure of this will or will not be continued, but I'm going to leave the status "in-progress" for now as I think there are at least two more chapters in the offing.

**. . .**

On June 4th, 1957, District Attorney Hamilton Burger was due to be married. He checked his watch for the sixtieth time that minute and heaved a sigh. His wife-to-be was late. That never boded well for a coming marriage. He crossed his arms, a sign of hidden frustration developed through years of prosecuting murderers. The clock struck four-thirty with an anemic chime. Burger began to tap his shoe.

"You need to calm down, Ham," Jethro Alfred cracked one of his habitual smiles. "They're probably just stuck in traffic."

"But for half an hour!"

"This is LA, Ham! They could be stuck in traffic for four days!"

Burger pulled a cigarette from his case and lit it. "If they're much later we'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"So what if you have to wait until tomorrow? What's one day when you're marrying an heiress?"

The district attorney mumbled something about plane tickets and terrible inconveniences. Alfred let out a bark of laughter but was quickly silenced by the entrance of Miss Agatha Aldridge, soon to be Mrs. Agatha Burger.

At her entrance, Hamilton Burger found himself standing straighter than usual. Straighter even then when he was presenting evidence or questioning a witness in court. She walked up to him and took his proffered arm.

"Are we ready," the receptionist asked.

He glanced from her to his future wife and nodded dumbly.

"Then come right this way, please."

Mrs. Aldridge positively beamed as they walked into the office at the end of the hall. "Isn't this too exciting," she gushed at Jethro Alfred. "My little girl marrying a prominent lawyer. A district attorney in fact!"

Alfred smiled tightly. "Yes, ma'am, I'm sure they'll be happy together," he took Mrs. Aldridge's arm somewhat unwillingly and followed Burger and Agatha into the office.

The wedding was short and sweet, as most weddings officiated at City Hall are. During the entire ceremony, Hamilton Burger couldn't take his eyes off of his new wife. How had he gotten into this situation was beyond him. One moment he'd been at a fashionable, if not somewhat slow, party in Beverly Hills being introduced—by his mother no less—to a handsome young woman and her mother.

"Hamilton, this is Agatha Aldridge and her mother, Mrs. Aldridge. They're visiting from San Francisco."

He smiled and shook hands. The perfect gentleman, both his mother and hers gushed. He should have known from the outset that they had something in the works. His mother had given him the same look that Perry Mason usually did before he dropped a legal bombshell in court. If push came to shove, he'd rather face Mason in court any day than face his mother.

After the party she made all the usual comments. "Wasn't Miss So-and-do absolutely charming? Didn't Miss Whatsit make such a fool of herself by spilling that drink?" Then she started her usual lectures. He could almost hear her chiding voice now, as he stood in city hall, ready to marry a woman he knew very little about. "Why don't you get married, Hamilton," she was wheezing at him. "All of your friends are! Well, except that terrible Alfred man; but I suppose he doesn't count, really."

He took his eyes off of Agatha long enough to look at his mother. She was standing in the corner with a self-satisfied smirk, clearly pleased that her son was finally tying the knot.

In the six months between the Beverly Hills party and June 6th, Burger and Agatha went out at least once a week every week. People began to talk. His clerks would smirk at the mention of her name; his secretary would inexplicably giggle whenever Agatha called. Even Perry Mason noticed. Two months previously, after a particularly harrowing day in court, he walked up to Burger with his customary air of confidence.

"Della and I saw you at Francisco's last night, Mr. Burger. Tell me, who was that young woman with you?"

Burger flushed to the very roots of his hair. He cleared his throat. "Miss Aldridge is a friend of the family."

Mason smirked. "Whoever she is, she's very beautiful," he gave Burger a suggestive pat on the shoulder. "Best of luck."

Exactly one month before June 6th, 1957, Hamilton Burger found himself alone with Agatha in his apartment, staring into a gin and tonic. In his left pants pocket was a small box from the local jewelers. He cleared his throat, just as he had done countless times before in court. "Agatha?"

"Yes?"

"Did you ever think of, well, of getting married?"

"From time to time."

He pulled the box from his pocket and opened it. Agatha examined the contents with an amused look. She turned her eyes from the box to Burger. "Yes."

The judge cleared his throat. "Mr. Burger, I know that this is not a court of law but do you think we could trouble you for your attention?"

"I'm sorry," he mustered his best smile for his intended.

"I'll just repeat myself: Hamilton James Burger, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

He suddenly found his throat dry. Were they really that far on in the ceremony? "I do."

"Agatha Margret Aldridge, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Agatha slid her eyes from the judge to Burger. "I do."

"Please exchange rings."

She coolly slid the ring onto his left ring finger and extended her left hand. Burger took her hand with trembling hands and placed the ring on her finger.

He was married.


End file.
